Nanny Esther

Feeling so so sad. An amazing girl, incredible woman of God and fantastic childcarer is leaving me.

This last year, it's felt as if she is part of the family but now she's going. I am so gutted. However, it's important to release her well and with love so that she can continue being a blessing but to many more children than just my 3. I had tears in my eyes today when I received and reluctantly accepted her notice.

I truly wish her well.

This last year has totally whizzed by and she has put up with such a lot.
She's helped #LaraGulp with her homework and taken her to after school clubs and dancing lessons and listened to her constant chatter.

She's encouraged my gorgeous shy, sensitive little #SophieGulp to talk and be more interactive and responsive. She's dealt with potty training issues etc too - bless her.

She's helped #RebeccaGulp develop and has patiently fed her despite major eating disorders. She's taken her to development groups, learned signing and loved her.
In fact, I feel as if she's loved all of my children.

She's done parties with them and picnics and all sorts of adventures. She's prayed with them and for them and we've prayed for her. The children are always happy and excited to tell her about things and include her in their lives.

My #LaraGulp was my most incredible amazing and precious gift from God when she was born and not once during her 6 years of life had I ever felt such peace about leaving her to be cared for by anyone until Nanny Esther came into our world.

Nanny Esther has been an unbelievable blessing to our family and an answer to prayer but I'm crying as I write this. I hope she feels released in love and blessed by us too.

(Note: we do have a fabulous new childcarer lined up who will hopefully be able to start so that the transition will be seamless but this post is all about the incredibly fabulous woman who is Nanny Esther)

Why am I a Politician?

That should be an easy question to answer but it's actually not that easy to convey the multitude of factors that contributed towards me seeking election as a local councillor.

I have always been interested in social justice but not so much politics and never imagined that little old me could make a difference. I was always passionate about movies and wrote a dissertation on the British Film Industry while I was at College. I'll never forget the feedback I got from a senior lecturer - she said, "You will never change the world so don't bother trying." Well this was like a red rag to a bull for me. If someone tells me I can't do something I will fight hard to prove that I can.

On several occasions I heard speakers talk about being the person who makes a difference and standing up and being counted and it stirred in me a burning desire to do whatever I can to help others.

My son (Joshua) died in 2006 and since that point I have wanted to make my life count for something far bigger than myself.

So, in 2010, on the day that Gordon Brown left Number 10 and he said, "it is by the strength of our common endeavour that we achieve more than we do alone",  I joined the Labour party with tears streaming down my face. I knew that the country was going to suffer under the Conservative led government and that we all had a part to play to create an environment where the people of the Bradford District that I love so much would be able to survive the government and hopefully still flourish. Here's a link to my first post about joining the Labour party http://isthisasmileoragrimace.blogspot.co.uk/2010/05/politics-and-me.html

Bradford District has not benefited from the inward investment and vision of other cities and Districts nearby but what we have got are amazing people drawn from an amazingly wide range of backgrounds. There are many strengths in our District if we have the vision and the desire to work together to utilise these strengths. There are also many challenges which I won't gloss over but I truly believe that we can make life better at an individual and a District wide level.

Each time, I help an individual with some casework that matters deeply to them, I know that it isn't going to make waves or headlines but I don't care about that because all that really matters is that it will help that person.
Each time I go to a school governors meeting or go and hear a young person read or talk about the work they are doing in school, it's not going to get me a vote but it may help that young person to achieve a renewed sense of achievement or confidence in their abilities.
Each time I go to a council meeting or committee meeting and raise issues that are of concern to the people in the District and in my ward, I am helping to give them a voice.

It's not easy though - there's a lot of sacrifices to make in terms of personal time and finances too. If I put all of this effort into a business, I'm sure I could make a heck of a lot of money but I honestly don't care about the money (or lack thereof). It would be nice to have a little more sleep but since I was elected I feel like I am constantly thinking about what I can do to contribute more to the betterment of our District and to create more opportunities for all people while also concerning myself about how we as a community look after our most vulnerable citizens.

Politics is something that has the potential to be brilliant if everyone involved in it gives their all to serve the community. It is my hope that when I am no longer involved in politics, whether people remember me or not, that I will have left a legacy that benefits other people for many years after I have gone.

Using Others or Saying Thank You

Life is sometimes a bit of a minefield especially where relationships with others are concerned.

There are often situations where one person needs the help of another and the other gladly gives their help. However, if the person who needs the help does not treat the other person with kindness, respect and gratitude then they can be left feeling used. 

The person who feels used then has a natural reaction to this which often starts with anger, disappointment and regret at having put themselves in that position and sadly then tells others of the situation so that it has an effect on others perceptions.

So, isn't it so much better to just be a decent human being in the first place, and treat others with kindness, love and respect. Then if you need some help at a season in your life, you can ask people for their help and then say thank you afterwards. Perhaps you could then offer your help to others also. Mutual help, respect and appreciation just makes the world a nicer place to be in.

I found out recently that I had been used by someone and thankfully there is enough distance to allow me to not get bitter about it but to just move on in grace and dignity and just remember not to put myself in that situation again. Sometimes, you've just got to chalk this stuff up to experience and still be the generous, caring, helpful person you always have been but with a more cautious and thoughtful attitude.

Here's a song from the show Nashville called Used, although it's about a girl who stupidly allowed herself to get used by a guy.

http://youtu.be/cdIeoqO7jgA